$10k to spend - advice on which model?

[cynner]

Hey all,

In looking at buying my first 4x4 and have come to the conclusion that I can't go past a Patrol. From what I gather the 4.2's seem to have the best reputation for reliability, is that correct?

Should 10k find me something decent? I'd be hoping to find something with a gew goodies - lifted, bull bar, good tyres, etc... so that I don't have to spend too much modifying it down the track...

For reliability, should I avoid turbos? What about the 2.8 TD?

Thanks heaps!
Kim :)

[Winnie]

A GQ 4.2 turbo will see you happy for many years. At your budget you might have to wait until you can find a bargain but it will be worth it! Don't rush into it.

Trying to use Motorculture

[taslucas]

As Winnie said, don't rush into it. Have the money ready and stalk gumtree. There's a couple of good ones on there right now. If going for a TD4.2 then don't be put off by higher k's. They are a strong, long lasting engine. As for a turbo diesel 2.8, they are also a great engine but obviously lack power compared to the bigger 4.2. If it's just general driving, touring, and light offroad work your doing then a 2.8 will be sufficient. Your in Tassie right? There's a nice looking 2.8 GQ on gumtree at the moment.

[taslucas]

If you decide on a 2.8 then this looks like a pretty good buy. A lot of extras included.
http://m.gumtree.com.au/turbo-diesel-gq-patrol-4wd-low-kms/v?adId=1022528588&page=1

[threedogs]

Look around the rear widows as most are prone to rust in that area,
other than that go hunting

[liftlid]

you haven't mentioned if this will be your daily driver, with occasional long distance work, or a dedicated bush truck, if its going to be a daily driver you may be better off with petrol/gas as its running cost's overall will be less than a diesel. You will have crap economy off road with a petrol. But when you consider how often you use your car off road, compared to highway the petrol/gas combination is cheaper to run. The diesel's advantage is it gets consistent fuel economy (Bad) so on remote trips (desert) you have more of an idea how much fuel you need to carry. On another note if the 2.8 has all the accessories it may be a good buy as you can always swap in a 4.2 when the 2.8 engine gets tired. The 2.8 should be cheaper than the same truck with a 4.2 as its like a ute with leaf springs they are not very popular.

[taslucas]

you haven't mentioned if this will be your daily driver, with occasional long distance work, or a dedicated bush truck, if its going to be a daily driver you may be better off with petrol/gas as its running cost's overall will be less than a diesel. You will have crap economy off road with a petrol. But when you consider how often you use your car off road, compared to highway the petrol/gas combination is cheaper to run. The diesel's advantage is it gets consistent fuel economy (Bad) so on remote trips (desert) you have more of an idea how much fuel you need to carry. On another note if the 2.8 has all the accessories it may be a good buy as you can always swap in a 4.2 when the 2.8 engine gets tired. The 2.8 should be cheaper than the same truck with a 4.2 as its like a ute with leaf springs they are not very popular.

Probably a conversation for another thread, but Im not convinced on your opinions about diesels getting consistentantly bad economy???
A TB42 will have trouble getting less than 25litres per hundred ks and will use anything up to 35 litres per hundred ks. The rb30's are not much better. The way lpg pricing is going, it's not really any cheaper running it.

[Winnie]

It was definitely cheaper for me running LPG by about 20 dollars a week.

Trying to use Motorculture

[taslucas]

It was definitely cheaper for me running LPG by about 20 dollars a week.

Trying to use Motorculture

It definitely wasn't for me though. Maybe just a little bit cheaper if highway driving but no difference if you have a heavy foot. Also depends a lot on the tune and system though I guess. You were efi Winnie?

[Bob]

I have a 4.5 Dual Fuel and achieve 18Litres per 100 K's on LPG therefor Say 20 Litres @ 80c per Litre = $16 per 100 K's.
Towing Camper Van 24 Litres per 100K's = $19.20 per 100 K's
The Price of LPG in Bendigo is at present 64c per Litre

[mudnut]

My parents toured the middle and the north west only a couple of years ago, and they found that it was dearer per kilometre to run on gas in the more remote areas.

[Winnie]

Your figures are awesome though, Bob. I was getting 22L/100km on efi which was still pretty good.

Trying to use Motorculture

[Bob]

Your figures are awesome though, Bob. I was getting 22L/100km on efi which was still pretty good.

Trying to use Motorculture

Kept well tuned . No Lift . No Roof Rack. Road Tyres. Manual

LPG is expensive in remote areas .

A Turbo'd 4.2 Litre Diesel would be my choice if travelling Australia and they are a good reliable Motor

[liftlid]

But most of the time you don't use your car in remote areas.

[threedogs]

if you were to travel outback in a dual fuel patrol it would get to a point where it just wouldn't be worth filling with gas.
My Birdsville 3 corner trip was fuel all the way leaving the gas full as a safety margin
It gave me 400k range, just in case, diesel would be best for outback travel now though, petrol prices are just over the top atm
Couldn't go far wrong picking a GQ as an outback tourer/weekend warrior or daily driver, just look how many are still on the road,
and in good nick I may say

[taslucas]

I have a 4.5 Dual Fuel and achieve 18Litres per 100 K's on LPG therefor Say 20 Litres @ 80c per Litre = $16 per 100 K's.
Towing Camper Van 24 Litres per 100K's = $19.20 per 100 K's
The Price of LPG in Bendigo is at present 64c per Litre

Gas is about 89 cents here

[Bob]

Gas is about 89 cents here

Thats the trouble with Gas as in areas with low volume it costs a fortune.

I am lucky that Bendigo has low Gas Prices and in some places in Melbourne it is fairly reasonable.
Suits me because of my location and what I use the Patrol for.

As stated in a previous Post my preference would be 4.2 Diesel if Cynner can get one with his Budget

[taslucas]

Also, I find that when driving off road or hilly country roads the gas usage goes up a lot.
Cynner us from tas so the Tassie gas, petrol and diesel prices are what should be taken into account.
But sorry cynner, we have hijacked your thread and turned it into an economy debate! Haha.
Please feel free to ask any OTHER patrol questions:-)

[Avo]

just keep looking mate,i knew what I wanted and just kept looking,months later probably close to 8 months later I found a turbo 4.2,long range tanks(200lt all up) bar work spotties electric brakes for towing,dual batteries.Paid 9 grand cash and it only had 150 thou on it.
good luck and just find out what you really want and don't be in no rush,
Cheers

[Avo]

Just got back from holidays not long ago and averaged about 16-18lt per 100km.

[liftlid]

Probably a conversation for another thread, but Im not convinced on your opinions about diesels getting consistentantly bad economy???
A TB42 will have trouble getting less than 25litres per hundred ks and will use anything up to 35 litres per hundred ks. The rb30's are not much better. The way lpg pricing is going, it's not really any cheaper running it.

I think you may have missed my point a bit so I will try and explain,
I said the diesel's consistent fuel economy was an advantage when remote ( I expect between 16-22km per 100km when remote), this is not great economy when you compare the patrol against other diesel tourers that have more power with similar fuel consumption. It is better economy compared to taking a petrol motor on the same trip though!
A 4.2 on LPG using 25lt per 100km consumption at a price of $.64 Cpl would cost $16 per 100km to run.
A 4.2 on diesel using 17lt per 100km consumption at a price of $1.55 Cpl would cost $26.35 per 100km to run.
based on the km I travel per year I would expect a saving of $2400 using LPG instead of diesel.(if you purchase a vehicle with LPG already fitted.)
Considering that most people only do a remote trip once a year, diesel drivers pay a premium the rest of the year.
As I said at the start of my post it depends on cynner's intended usage of the vehicle on what will better suit Him/her.
With a 10k budget I think you get better value for money purchasing a petrol over a diesel. thanks

[Winnie]

17L/100km is extreme. Most get around 12-14.

Trying to use Motorculture

[liftlid]

Not loaded they don't,

[Winnie]

And a loaded TB42 would use a lot more than 25. Most are lucky to be under that unloaded.

Trying to use Motorculture

[liftlid]

Double checked with the father in law LPG 25 lt 100km daily driver

[Winnie]

So you're using unloaded, street driven figures for LPG but loaded touring figures for diesel?


Sent from my iPad using Motorculture mobile app

[liftlid]

Sorry yes a loaded 4.2 LPG does use more fuel. that was my point, how often does it get used fully loaded on a trip though?

[liftlid]

Sorry we crossed over the 17 lt figure was my round town figure before turbo

[lhurley]

I would much rather have consistent economy. Diesel 12-14 ($19-21) or a gas/petrol and get at best 24 (gas $19, petrol $39), and closer to 40 off road (gas $32, petrol $66)

The figures im using are my Gas/Petrol figure and the prices i saw on my way home today.

If it was my money (hopefully i will be doing the same soon) i will be trying to find a 4.2 turbo diesel. Even if you dont get much extras, being a 4.2 it wont drop in price as quick as they still have demand.

[taslucas]

Back to the original question!

Hows the hunt gone so far Cynner? Any more questions? (dont worry, not all questions turn into an all in debate haha)

[liftlid]

I agree with you, that's why I've done over 400,000km in mine and it has over 600,000km on it. but I've spent more on my car than the $10k budget of this post.
overall I still would have spent less money on fuel with a LPG, but would have crapped my pants every time the water went over the bonnet in the high country.

[cynner]

Hah cool - thanks all. The fuel economy debate is interesting - I always thought diesels were economical... but i guess ive only ever had the chance to compare a volkswagen petrol vs diesel. The vw used about 6L per 100k.
Id love a 4x4 that was closer to 10L/100k but I guess thats only the new ones or soft roaders.

I'd be using this one for mostly weekend drives. Sounds like I'd need dual fuel tanks if these things chew threw so much fuel...

Safety is one concern I had - was reading that the Patrols don't have the best features for driver/passenger safety. Although the best safety feature in a car is a safe driver behind the wheel :)

Thanks!
Kim

[taslucas]

Yeah the petrols will chew a lot of juice. If buying a petrol I would get a straight petrol not petrol/lpg system. As I mentioned earlier our lpg pricing is pretty high here so it doesn't make it much more economical. If only using for weekends then you can save a bit of money on the purchase price by going for a petrol instead of diesel and use that money for extras. Are you looking to get a GQ or GU?
As for safety, they are big, stable and strong. They may not rank as high in a car magazine safety survey but they are almost indestructible out on the tracks:-)

[cynner]

GU came with drivers airbag didn't it? (thoughts on value of airbags in an off road vehicle? Risk of accidentally deploying?)

GQ is probably in my price range a bit more... although if i found a GU bargain i think that would be my preferred shape...

[liftlid]

Yeah the petrols will chew a lot of juice. If buying a petrol I would get a straight petrol not petrol/lpg system. As I mentioned earlier our lpg pricing is pretty high here so it doesn't make it much more economical. If only using for weekends then you can save a bit of money on the purchase price by going for a petrol instead of diesel and use that money for extras. Are you looking to get a GQ or GU?
As for safety, they are big, stable and strong. They may not rank as high in a car magazine safety survey but they are almost indestructible out on the tracks:-)

I agree with your comments on the petrol for a weekend warrior, that's what I would do, especially if its your first truck.
A GU at that price range would need a lot of work, learn to drive in the GQ the dings don't hurt as much on a cheap truck.

[Cuppa]

My parents toured the middle and the north west only a couple of years ago, and they found that it was dearer per kilometre to run on gas in the more remote areas.

If you can get it! Have heard recent reports that a number of the outback servos listed as supplying LPG have often 'run out' & uncertain when the next tanker is likely to arrive. I certainly wouldn't contemplate outback touring on gas only.

Cuppa

[liftlid]

I agree with that

[BigRAWesty]

GU came with drivers airbag didn't it? (thoughts on value of airbags in an off road vehicle? Risk of accidentally deploying?)

GQ is probably in my price range a bit more... although if i found a GU bargain i think that would be my preferred shape...

You should be able to pick a 2000 ish GU 4.2 in your budget.
As mentioned though the fuel usage. I'd try land a GQ TD42 NA. For 10g it will be a nice rig, and they are very reliable. Mine has half a mill on the clock and everything is original.. Clutch, injectors, gearbox, diffs.. Everything except rotors, pads etc..
I get 15-16L/100 towing a 1.4T camper, and 12-13L/100 on highway.
Sure Its no power house but keeps up to the pack.. And it also gives more flexibility down the track for upgrades. And can be built up slowly..
Anyway, in short a GQ TD42 NA for my vote..

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

[BigRAWesty]

Here ya go.. Perfect first play car..
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/NISSANPATROL1991-14869147

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

[liftlid]

I seems too good to be true, though its a petrol/ gas and he wants $ 12 k Ono

[liftlid]

If everything on the description is true it seems like a good buy, I wonder if it would pass roadworthy ?

[taslucas]

If everything on the description is true it seems like a good buy, I wonder if it would pass roadworthy ?

We don't need to pass roadworthy when selling/buying or even renewing rego here. But you do want to know the car is safe.

[threedogs]

Just saw a 4.2td for $8900 on gumtree but don't know how post here.

[MudRunnerTD]

Here ya go.. Perfect first play car..
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/NISSANPATROL1991-14869147

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

I reckon its over priced mate, He is advertising it as a 4.2 Diesel then in the read its a Petrol on Gas for $10,000. Its got a Himount which is nice but to be honest its a Lift and a Winch. Its got 300,000kms on it and its a TB42 Carby model.

I reckon there is better out there. Looks pretty, no engine pics though. $10 no RWC?

[MudRunnerTD]

Ring this guy and offer him $10,000

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Nissan-Patrol-1999/SSE-AD-2238740/?Cr=3

1999 GU 4.5 Petrol. $12000 in Tas.

[MudRunnerTD]

or even better find another $5k and buy this in a heart Beat!!!

In a Heart Beat.

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Nissan-Patrol-1998/SSE-AD-2204112/?Cr=7

[Drewboyaus]

And a loaded TB42 would use a lot more than 25. Most are lucky to be under that unloaded.

Trying to use Motorculture

My TB42e, mud tyres, loaded up and with roof racks and awnings got 26L/100km average all the way to Pambula beach via Woods Point and Walhalla a few weeks ago. A significant portion on the blacktop but pretty good IMO. Drive at 90km/h rather than 110km/h and it makes a massive difference.
I bought a petrol because it's not my daily and I only use it for weekends and the occasional touring/remote trip. It's petrol only and I'm adding another 70L capacity to my existing 140L. In the end I couldn't justify paying the premium for the diesel if it spent most of its time in the garage. It's a bit thirsty off road but I don't mind.


Tip tip tip......tap tap tap....

[threedogs]

X 2 the above looks on paper to be a good buy, but depends on funds eh
But looks clean enough

[BigRAWesty]

I reckon its over priced mate, He is advertising it as a 4.2 Diesel then in the read its a Petrol on Gas for $10,000. Its got a Himount which is nice but to be honest its a Lift and a Winch. Its got 300,000kms on it and its a TB42 Carby model.

I reckon there is better out there. Looks pretty, no engine pics though. $10 no RWC?

Ow I missed that.. What a pain, hate it when people do that for a hit.. Yea 10 is overpriced of a petrol..

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

[Drewboyaus]

Ow I missed that.. What a pain, hate it when people do that for a hit.. Yea 10 is overpriced of a petrol..

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

I paid a smidge under 10 for my petrol but it was mint with a full history from the rozzas.


Tip tip tip......tap tap tap....

[Drewboyaus]

If you're going to go petrol, go for the EFI. A much better donk on and off the road.


Tip tip tip......tap tap tap....

[cynner]

Thoughts on this?

GU 2.8 Turbo Diesel
2" lift
33" tyres 50% tread
dual batteries
Boost and oil pressure gauges
5 aliied wasps mags
Viper spot lights
Good stereo
Have alloy and steel Bullbar
Whole top end of engine being rebuilt before sale.
$11k (but they said they can drop the price)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/717276/Car/patrol.jpg

Looks like it's very capable. Maybe better to continue looking for a 4.2 though.

Question - how easy is it to sleep in the back of a Patrol without completely removing the back seats? (folding seats up). I've seen kits you can buy that add drawers and a false floor that look pretty good...

[BigRAWesty]

What year and how many k's?

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

[cynner]

It's a 98 model, has driver and passenger airbags apparently (satisfies my safety concerns) heh

It's done a lot of k's... 360,000... but the engine is being rebuilt.

[liftlid]

Make sure everything on the car is 100 % and take into consideration what it would cost to repair /replace the engine maybe to a 4.2 if that's what you wish. I am yet to see somebody who has bought a cheep 4wd not have a lot of breakdowns and some have spent the original purchase price again on repairs so buyer beware, if the things wrong on the car are things you would upgrade anyway adjust the price accordingly

[liftlid]

Your description said top end which is a rebuilt or replaced head all the rotating bits stay the same

[cynner]

Hmm yeah true. Thanks! :)

[liftlid]

If you have the skills to repair it yourself offer a stupid price they may take it

[taslucas]

Looks ok. But by the pics the young guys may have given it a bit of flogging.
I reckon you could find better for the same price, taking the higher k's and need of rebuild into account.

This one below is the older shape GQ but a much better buy for the same money by the looks of it.
If I was considering buying a 2.8 diesel then id go for this one.
It's been on gumtree for quite a while now, offer them 7k and see how ya go.


http://m.gumtree.com.au/turbo-diesel-gq-patrol-4wd-low-kms/v?adId=1022528588&page=1

[cynner]

Yeah that GQ looks alright... less k's which is a plus. Hmmm :)

[taslucas]

Looks like it's been well looked after too. Id say you'd have a good few years of driving before even considering any engine mods. As for the rest of the mods done, it looks like it's well setup already and you could get out there and start enjoying it straight away.

[Drewboyaus]

Yeah. Looks nice I reckon. But if its been there a while, folks might be steering clear for a good reason (and not just because its not a 4.2). We here can only give you so much input before you buy anything and I highly recommend investing in a proper mechanical inspection if you like it enough to make an offer. Could be a well spent 300 bucks.
When I was looking for my current rig a while ago, I was looking at 80 series 'Cruisers too (don't laugh).
Found a nice factory turbo diesel at a good price being sold by a pleasant father/son team who had planned to take the big trip but someone had got sick. Mechanically it was quite good but a mate of mine who is a guru with this stuff noticed a couple of hairline cracks near the doors (I probably wouldn't have noticed).....on closer inspection there was cracking across the whole rear part of the body and it was the first time these two blokes had seen it. They were devastated because now their rig was barely worth anything and we were out of there.


Tip tip tip......tap tap tap....